Mount for a phone holder

ABSTRACT

A mount for a phone holder ( 17 ) which has a rear projecting housing part ( 19 ) with an extension ( 20 ) provided with contacts ( 23 ) and, on its front side, an accommodating pocket ( 18 ) for a cell phone, having a recess ( 2 ) which is adapted for accommodating the rear housing part ( 19 ) and is adjoined by a contact chamber ( 15 ) which is open on one side, contains mating contacts ( 16 ) and into which the extension ( 20 ) of the housing part ( 19 ) can be pushed for the contact-connection between the contacts ( 23 ) of the latter and the mating contacts ( 16 ), the housing part ( 19 ) being inserted into the recess ( 2 ), having a displaceable wall component ( 5 ) which bounds the recess ( 2 ) on the side located opposite the contact chamber ( 15 ), which allows the housing part ( 19 ) to be introduced into the recess, such that the housing part ( 19 ) butts against a base ( 3 ) of the recess ( 2 ), only once the wall component ( 5 ) has been displaced counter to a spring force and which can be blocked in terms of displaceability by a locking device in a position which corresponds to the position of the wall component ( 5 ) with the extension ( 20 ) inserted into the recess ( 2 ) and pushed into the contact chamber ( 15 ) to the contact-connection state, and having a covering ( 7 ) of the contact chamber ( 15 ), which extends over the opening ( 14 ) of the contact chamber ( 15 ) and can be pushed down by means of the phone holder ( 17 ) in order to release the opening ( 14 ) of the contact chamber ( 15 ), locking being activated by the locking device when the covering ( 7 ) is in the pushed-down state, can be produced with a low minimum overall height in that the covering is formed by an obliquely positioned flap ( 7 ) which is mounted in a pivotable manner on the base ( 3 ) of the recess ( 2 ) and by means of which the opening ( 14 ) of the contact chamber ( 15 ) can be released by virtue of the flap being pivoted into the plane of the base ( 3 ).

The invention relates to a mount for a phone holder which has a rearprojecting housing part with an extension provided with contacts and, onits front side, an accommodating pocket for a cell phone,

having a recess which is adapted for accommodating the rear housing partand is adjoined by a contact chamber which is open on one side, containsmating contacts and into which the extension of the housing part can bepushed for the contact-connection between the contacts of the latter andthe mating contacts, the housing part being inserted into the recess,

having a displaceable wall component which bounds the recess on the sidelocated opposite the contact chamber, which allows the housing part tobe introduced into the recess, such that the housing part butts againsta base of the recess, only once the wall component has been displacedcounter to a spring force and which can be blocked in terms ofdisplaceability by a locking means in a position which corresponds tothe position of the wall component with the extension inserted into therecess and pushed into the contact chamber to the contact-connectionstate,

and having a covering of the contact chamber, which extends over theopening of the contact chamber and can be pushed down by means of thephone holder in order to release the opening of the contact chamber,locking being activated by the locking means when the covering is in thepushed-down state.

Such a mount is known, for example, from System 8 which is marketedunder the brand name THB Bury. The covering of the contact chamber hereis formed by a wall which is positioned perpendicularly to the base ofthe recess and is connected integrally to a run-on slope which extendsfrom the base of the recess up to the height of the covering-formingwall. By virtue of the housing part of the phone holder being insertedby way of its extension, the covering-forming wall is pushed downwardvia the run-on slope, so that the opening of the contact chamber isreleased. Pushing the run-on slope down, however, is only possible whenthe wall component which can be displaced with the top side of thehousing part has been displaced, so that the housing part finds a recesslength which allows the housing part to be inserted, by way of theextension, onto the base of the recess. In this state, the extension canbe pushed into the contact chamber and it is possible to establishcontact-connection of the contacts. In the contact-connected state, thewall component locks, and can no longer be displaced without anunlocking button being actuated. The phone holder is thus retained incaptive fashion in the mount and can only be removed again by actuationof the unlocking button and subsequent displacement of the displaceablewall component.

The functioning of the known mount is optimum. The problem, however, isthat, as a result of the wall which forms the covering of the opening ofthe contact chamber being displaced, a minimum overall height of themount is necessary for the run-on slope in the downward direction(beneath the plane of the base of the recess). This minimum overallheight causes problems, in particular when the mount is to be installed,for example, in a center console, in which the abovementioned minimumoverall height is often not available for installation purposes.

The object of the invention is thus for a mount of the abovementionedtype to be formed with a lower minimum overall height, the essentialfunctions being maintained in the process.

In order to achieve this object, a mount of the type mentioned in theintroduction is characterized according to the invention in that thecovering is formed by an obliquely positioned flap which is positionedin a pivotable manner on the base of the recess and by means of whichthe opening of the contact chamber can be released by virtue of the flapbeing pivoted into the plane of the base.

In the case of the mount according to the invention, the covering of themating contacts is formed by an obliquely positioned flap, which thusperforms the function of the run-on slope and that of the covering. Theobliquely positioned flap is pushed into the plane of the base of therecess by the extension of the housing part of the phone holder, so thatthere is no need for any hitherto necessary accommodating space for acovering-forming wall beneath the base, the minimum overall height beingreduced as a result.

Locking of the covering-forming flap such that the flap can only bemoved if, by virtue of the wall component being displaced by means ofthe top side of the housing part, it is ensured that the housing part isalready directed parallel to the base or butts against the base of therecess, can be dispensed with if, in a preferred embodiment, the contactchamber, which is open on one side, is dimensioned such that theextension of the housing part can only be introduced when the housingpart, following displacement of the wall component, is oriented parallelto the base. Oblique introduction of the extension into the contactchamber is thus only possible to such a slight extent that there isstill no contact-connection taking place between the contacts of theextension and the mating contacts of the contact chamber, so thatincorrect fastening of the phone holder in the mount without locking isimmediately recognizable in that the electrical function, which istransmitted via the mount to the phone holder and the cell phoneinserted therein, is not ensured.

Locking of the displaceable wall component in the locked position whenthe housing part of the phone holder has been correctly inserted iscontrolled, in a preferred embodiment, by the pivoting of the flapitself.

The invention will be explained in more detail hereinbelow withreference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a mount according to theinvention in an initial state;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view, obliquely from above, of the mountaccording to FIG. 1 following displacement of the displaceable wallcomponent;

FIG. 3 shows a view of the mount according to FIG. 2 obliquely fromabove such that the opening of the contact chamber is visible; and

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through the mount according to FIG.1 and through a phone holder positioned obliquely thereon.

That embodiment of the mount according to the invention which isillustrated in the drawing is provided for installation in a centerconsole. It thus comprises a covering plate 1, which forms a top sideand in which is located a recess 2 with a base 3 located parallel to thecovering plate 1. The recess 2 is bounded, on the one hand, by parallellongitudinal side walls 4 and, on the other hand, by a top, displaceablewall component 5 and a projecting structure 6 on the opposite end side.A top side of the projecting structure 6 is located parallel to, andabove, the covering plate 1. From the top side of the projectingstructure 6, an obliquely positioned flap 7 extends to the base 3 of therecess 2. The flap 7 is mounted on the base such that it can be pivotedabout an axis of rotation 8.

An unlocking button 9 is located alongside the recess. The mount can beconnected, via a helical cable 10 and a plug 11, to a central controlmeans, for example in a motor vehicle and, in particular, for ahands-free kit in a motor vehicle.

FIG. 2 illustrates that the displaceable wall component 5 can bedisplaced upward out of the initial position illustrated in FIG. 1, thatis to say from the projecting structure 6, parallel to the longitudinalside walls 4, together with a base component 12 connected integrally toit, so that a gap 13 is formed between a fixed part of the base 2 andthe base component 12.

As FIG. 3 illustrates, the obliquely positioned flap 7 can be pivoteddownward, that is to say into the plane of the base 2, about the axis ofrotation 8, in order thus to release an opening 14 of a contact chamber15, in which mating contacts 16 are located.

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through the mount according to FIGS.1 to 3 and through a phone holder 17 which, on its front side, has anaccommodating pocket 18 for a cell phone. The phone holder 17,furthermore, is provided with a rear housing part 19, of which thedimensions correspond to the dimensions of the recess 2 in that positionof the displaceable wall component 5 which is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and3. The housing part 19 is continued by an extension 20 which forms, withthe housing of the phone holder 17, an interspace 21 in which a top wall22 of the projecting structure 6 can engage.

Contacts 23 of the phone holder 17 are located in the extension 20. Themating contacts 16, which are arranged in the contact chamber 15, aredesigned for contact-connection with the contacts 23.

FIG. 4 shows that the phone holder 17 cannot be moved into its properposition, in which it has its rear side located parallel to the base 3of the recess 2, because in its initial position, as is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4, the wall component 5, which rises up from the base 3,prevents this orientation of the phone holder 17. The dimensioning ofthe extension 20, of the interspace 21 and of the spacing between thetop wall 22 of the projecting structure 6 and the base 3 means that, inthe oblique position illustrated, contacts 23 cannot be brought intocontact with the mating contacts 16.

Rather, what is necessary here is for the wall component 5 to be pushedaway from the contact chamber 15 until it butts against the coveringplate 1. The phone holder 17 can then be oriented parallel to the base 3by way of its rear side, and the extension 20 can be pushed into thecontact chamber 15 to the extent where the contacts 23 come into contactwith the mating contacts 16 and establish the electrical connection. Inthe pushed-in position, the wall component has been set back, on accountof spring loading, into the initial position, which is illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4. By virtue of the flap 7 being pushed down into the planeof the base 3, the displaceable wall component 5 is locked, preferablyin the region of the base component 12 connected integrally to it, sothat the inserted phone holder 17 cannot be removed from the mount onaccount of the extension 20 projecting into the contact chamber 15 andof the extension 20 being prevented from being pulled out of the contactchamber 15 by the locked wall component 5. For removal purposes, it isnecessary to release the locking of the wall component 5 using theunlocking button 9, so that the situation where the phone holder 17accidentally drops, or is pushed, out of the mount is reliablyprevented.

FIG. 4 shows that the opening-closing flap 7 is pushed into the plane ofthe base 3 by the insertion of the extension 20 and there is thus noneed for any additional installation space for the purpose of loweringthe covering of the opening 14 of the contact chamber 15.

Accordingly, a housing wall 24 may be fitted directly beneath the base3. The space 25 between the housing wall 24 and the covering plate 1,this space being located beneath the contact chamber 15, is sufficientfor the electronics provided for the mount to be accommodated as aninterface between a central control means and the phone holder 17 and,if appropriate, operating elements. The overall height of the mount isthus made up of the depth of the recess 2 and of the material thicknessfor the base 3 and the housing wall 24.

1. Mount for a phone holder (17) which has a rear projecting housingpart (19) with an extension (20) provided with contacts (23) and, on itsfront side, an accommodating pocket (18) for a cell phone, having arecess (2) which is adapted for accommodating the rear housing part (19)and is adjoined by a contact chamber (15) which is open on one side,contains mating contacts (16) and into which the extension (20) of thehousing part (19) can be pushed for the contact-connection between thecontacts (23) of the latter and the mating contacts (16), the housingpart (19) being is inserted into the recess (2), having a displaceablewall component (5) which bounds the recess (2) on the side locatedopposite the contact chamber (15), which allows the housing part (19) tobe introduced into the recess, such that the housing part (19) buttsagainst a base (3) of the recess (2), only once the wall component (5)has been displaced counter to a spring force and which can be blocked interms of displaceability by a locking device in a position whichcorresponds to the position of the wall component (5) with the extension(20) inserted into the recess (2) and pushed into the contact chamber(15) to the contact-connection state, and having a covering (7) of thecontact chamber (15), which extends over the opening (14) of the contactchamber (15) and can be pushed down by means of the phone holder (17) inorder to release the opening (14) of the contact chamber (is), lockingbeing activated by the locking device when the covering (7) is in thepushed-down state, characterized in that the covering is formed by anobliquely positioned flap (7) which is mounted in a pivotable manner onthe base (3) of the recess (2) and by means of which the opening (14) ofthe contact chamber (is) can be released by virtue of the flap beingpivoted into the plane of the base (3).
 2. Mount according to claim 1,characterized in that the contact chamber (15), which is open on oneside, is dimensioned such that the extension (20) of the housing part(19) can only be introduced when the housing part (19), followingdisplacement of the wall component (5), is oriented parallel to the base(3).
 3. Mount according to claim 1, characterized in that locking withthe locking device can be is controlled by the pivoting of the flap (7).